[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42155-42156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19859]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7001 and 70-7002]


Notice of Amendments to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2 
for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 
Paducah, Kentucky, and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 
Portsmouth, OH

    The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has 
made a determination that the following amendment requests are not 
significant in accordance with 10 CFR 76.45. In making that 
determination, the staff concluded that: (1) There is no change in the 
types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may 
be released offsite; (2) there is no significant increase in individual 
or cumulative occupational radiation exposure; (3) there is no 
significant construction impact; (4) there is no significant increase 
in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from, 
previously analyzed accidents; (5) the proposed changes do not result 
in the possibility of a new or different kind of accident; (6) there is 
no significant reduction in any margin of safety; and (7) the proposed 
changes will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness of 
the plants' safety, safeguards or security programs. The basis for this 
determination for the amendment requests is shown below.
    The NRC staff has reviewed the certificate amendment applications 
and concluded that they provide reasonable assurance of adequate 
safety, safeguards, and security, and compliance with NRC requirements. 
Therefore, the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, is prepared to issue amendments to the Certificates of 
Compliance for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for Portsmouth 
Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The staff has prepared a Compliance Evaluation 
Report which provides details of the staff's evaluation. The NRC staff 
has determined that these amendments satisfy the criteria for a 
categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(19). 
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact 
statement or environmental assessment needs to be prepared for these 
amendments.
    USEC or any person whose interest may be affected may file a 
petition, not exceeding 30 pages, requesting review of the Director's 
Decision. The petition must be filed with the Commission not later than 
15 days after publication of this Federal Register Notice. A petition 
for review of the Director's Decision shall set forth with 
particularity the interest of the petitioner and how that interest may 
be affected by the results of the decision. The petition should 
specifically explain the reasons why review of the Decision should be 
permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The 
interest of the petitioner; (2) how that interest may be affected by 
the Decision, including the reasons why the petitioner should be 
permitted a review of the Decision; and (3) the petitioner's areas of 
concern about the activity that is the subject matter of the Decision. 
Any person described in this paragraph (USEC or any person who filed a 
petition) may file a response to any petition for review, not to exceed 
30 pages, within 10 days after filing of the petition. If no petition 
is received within the designated 15-day period, the Director will 
issue the final amendments to the Certificates of Compliance without 
further delay. If a petition for review is received, the decision on 
the amendment applications will become final in 60 days, unless the 
Commission grants the petition for review or otherwise acts within 60 
days after publication of this Federal Register Notice.
    A petition for review must be filed with the Secretary of the 
Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, or may be 
delivered to the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, by the above date.
    For further details with respect to the action see (1) the 
application for amendments and (2) the Commission's Compliance 
Evaluation Report. These items are available for public inspection at 
the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L 
Street, NW, Washington, DC, and at the Local Public Document Rooms.
    Date of amendment requests: February 12, 1999.
    Brief description of amendments: The amendments propose to revise 
the Paducah and Portsmouth Quality Assurance Program (QAP) descriptions 
to include additional ways to approve suppliers for inclusion on the 
Approved Suppliers List and clarify the audit requirements applied to 
suppliers conducting work under the USEC QAP.
    Basis for finding of no significance:
    1. The proposed amendments will not result in a change in the types 
or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be 
released offsite.
    The proposed revisions to the QAP provide for additional ways to 
approve suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and 
clarify the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work 
under the USEC QAP. It does not involve any process which would change 
or increase the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite. 
Therefore, the proposed change will not result in an increase in the 
amounts of effluents that may be released offsite or result in any 
impact to the environment.
    2. The proposed amendments will not result in a significant 
increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    The proposed revisions to the QAP provide for additional ways to 
approve suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and 
clarify the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work 
under the USEC QAP; they have no affect on occupational radiation 
exposure. Therefore, the proposed change does not increase individual 
or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

[[Page 42156]]

    3. The proposed amendments will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed change is only a change to the QAP and does not 
involve any construction. Therefore, it does not result in a 
significant construction impact.
    4. The proposed amendments will not result in a significant 
increase in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences 
from, previously analyzed accidents.
    The proposed revisions to the QAP provide for additional ways to 
approve suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and 
clarify the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work 
under the USEC QAP. It does not change any previously analyzed 
accidents and does not affect the possibility of occurrence of a 
criticality accident. Therefore, the proposed change does not result in 
a significant increase in the potential for, or radiological or 
chemical consequences from, previously analyzed accidents.
    5. The proposed amendments will not result in the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident.
    The proposed revisions to the QAP provide for additional ways to 
approve suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and 
clarify the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work 
under the USEC QAP. The proposed change does not introduce any new or 
different kind of accident. Therefore, this change will not result in 
the possibility of a new or different kind of accident.
    6. The proposed amendments will not result in a significant 
reduction in any margin of safety.
    The proposed revisions to the QAP provide for additional ways to 
approve suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and 
clarify the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work 
under the USEC QAP. Margins of safety are not affected by this change. 
Therefore, the proposed change does not represent a reduction in any 
margin of safety.
    7. The proposed amendments will not result in an overall decrease 
in the effectiveness of the plant's safety, safeguards or security 
programs.
    The proposed revisions to the QAP provides for additional ways to 
approve suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and 
clarify the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work 
under the USEC QAP. These changes do not decrease the overall 
effectiveness of the plants' safety, safeguards, and security programs.
    Effective date: The amendments to Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 
and GDP-2 will become effective no later than 90 days after being 
signed by the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards.
    Certificates of Compliance Nos. GDP-1 and GDP-2: These amendments 
will revise the QAPs to provide for additional ways to approve 
suppliers for inclusion on the Approved Suppliers List and to clarify 
the audit requirements applied to suppliers conducting work under the 
USEC QAP.
    Local Public Document Room locations: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003 and Portsmouth Public 
Library, 1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of July 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-19859 Filed 8-2-99; 8:45 am]
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